Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Vignoble de Château-Grillet, where Frédéric Engerer and his team are fulfilling the property's incredible potential.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Jean-Louis Chave to taste the 2012 and 2013 Hermitage and St.-Joseph.

One of my peeves, and it's more than a pet, is wine bottle variation. Most wine drinkers are familiar with this unfortunate reality. One time you drink a wine and it's exciting, the next time something is slightly off. You know the saying: There are no great wines, only great bottles.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Hervé Souhaut in Arlebosc to taste his idiosyncratic wines at Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Jean-Pierre Monier at his cellar in St.-Joseph.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Delas, where the 2013 Hermitage, Cornas, Condrieu and more are just starting to shine.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Pierre-Jean Villa at his young domaine, and tasted an exciting range of 2013s

There are plenty of ways to capitalize on winning Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. Perhaps the most obvious is the opportunity for the winery or, as is more often the case, those who sell the wine, to hike the price—and the profit—in light of heightened demand. That's usually what happens.

OK, wine geeks: Pop quiz time. Tell me the difference between a wine made in Adelaida and one made in Estrella. What do you mean you have no idea where those places are? They're two of California's newest wine appellations.

Here's another question: Are appellations a way of defining terroir, or are they a marketing tool?

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Stéphane Ogier to taste the 2013 vintage.

Napa doesn't really have an off-season: Wine lovers can appreciate the views, delicious wines and awesome dining options any time of year. Even so, it used to be that November was one of the sleepier times around here—the period between the rush of harvest and the twinkling of holiday lights. But two relatively new events are turning November in Napa into one of the most exciting times to visit: the Napa Valley Film Festival and Flavor Napa Valley.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Domaine A. Clape in Cornas to taste the 2013 Syrahs, and a limited-production white.

Twenty-five bucks is my sweet spot when it comes to buying wine. I don't expect miracles at $25. At that retail price, a bottle isn't a splurge, but it still has to deliver in the quality department.

These are bottles that wine geeks routinely open during the week and casual drinkers keep for the weekend. A sweet-spot wine, for me, should show balance and persistence, varietal correctness and good complexity. A sense of place and a distinctive personality are highly valued, but not a deal breaker if absent.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Rhône Valley, tasting the newest wines at wineries in Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Condrieu and more. Today he visited Franck Balthazar to taste the 2013 and 2012 vintages.

Jacques Pépin, the chef who taught several generations of American chefs about cooking, turns 80 next year. The celebration has only just started. I caught up with Pépin while he was in San Francisco shooting his final cooking series, Jacques Pépin: Heart & Soul.

A controversy over the 2012 Oregon Pinot Noirs is the best thing that could happen to this exciting region.

Oregon isn't my beat, and I don't get to try as many wines as my colleague Harvey Steiman. But I've tasted enough of the 2012 Pinot Noirs to believe this is a monumental, game-changing vintage, one that is likely to give many Pinot lovers pause to take a closer look at these exciting wines.